Genealogy and Knowledge in Muslim Societies: Understanding the Past
Sarah Bowen Savant and Helena de Felipe
Abstract
This collection of nine case studies provides an understanding of genealogy in Muslim societies and highlights how ideas about kinship and descent have shaped communal and national identities in such societies. The volume provides a window onto Muslim societies, particularly with regard to the generation, preservation and manipulation of genealogical knowledge. The case studies draw on primary sources from across the Middle East, the Maghreb, and Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from works of classical Arabic heritage to oral testimonies gained from fieldwork. They stress the malleability of kinshi ... More
This collection of nine case studies provides an understanding of genealogy in Muslim societies and highlights how ideas about kinship and descent have shaped communal and national identities in such societies. The volume provides a window onto Muslim societies, particularly with regard to the generation, preservation and manipulation of genealogical knowledge. The case studies draw on primary sources from across the Middle East, the Maghreb, and Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from works of classical Arabic heritage to oral testimonies gained from fieldwork. They stress the malleability of kinship and memory, along with the interests that this malleability serves. They also address questions about how genealogical knowledge has been generated, how it has empowered political and religious elites, and how it has shaped our understanding of the past. Finally, the book examines the authenticity, legitimacy, and institutionalisation of genealogical knowledge, Muslim hierarchy, and the basis of sectarian, tribal, ethnic and other identities.
Keywords:
genealogy,
Muslim societies,
Middle East,
Maghreb,
Sub-Saharan Africa,
classical Arabic,
kinship,
descent,
genealogical knowledge
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2014 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780748644971 |
| Published to Edinburgh Scholarship Online: September 2015 |
DOI:10.3366/edinburgh/9780748644971.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Sarah Bowen Savant, editor
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University
Helena de Felipe, editor
Universidad de Alcalá
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